Hand tool for removing a protective backing from adhesive surfaces



June 26, 1962 s. FRAZER 3,040,802

HAND TOOL FOR REMOVING A PROTECTIVE BACKING FROM ADHESIVE SURFACES Filed May 22, 1958 INVENTOR. SAMUEL FRAZER A T TORNEY 3,040,802 HAND T001. FOR REMOVING A PROTEC'HVE BACKING FROM ADHESIVE SURFACES Samuel Frazer, 4107 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, Minn.,

assignor, by mesne assignments, to Anne Lehman,

Nlinneapolis, Minn.

Filed May 22, 1958, Ser. No. 737,tl9il 3 Claims. (Cl. 156-584) This invention relates broadly to hand tools and more particularly to a precision tool intended and designed specifically for use in separating the protective backing material from adhesive surfaces such as, alphabetical symbols, numerals, tapes, patches, and the like.

While the instant invention is capable of use broadly, wherever the use of a backing material is required over an adhesive surface, to facilitate making the initial separation therebetween, the said tool is especially Well adapted for use in the sign making trade wherein a plurality of pressure sensitive letters, numerals, and the like are individually supplied and applied to form the sign.

The principal object of the invention is therefore, to provide a hand manipulated tool for the purpose of making the initial separation between the adhesive surface of pressure sensitive sign making characters and the like and the protective backing material for said adhesive surfaces.

A further object of the invention is to provide a specialized tool of the class described, wherein, after the initial separation of the adhesive material and the backing material is commenced, said material in the form of a numeral, alphabetical character, symbol, or the like, is held positioned by the tool to be grasped by the user for complete separation of said adhesive material and the protective backing material therefor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a specialized manually manipulated hand tool of the class described that is readily adjustable for use with materials and backing materials having difierent cross-sectional thicknesses.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tool of the class described that is highly efl'icient for its intended use, simple to use, and inexpensive to manufacture.

A still further highly important object of the invention is the use of the subject tool as a tweezer wherein, after the adhesive material in the form of a letter, symbol, or the like is separated from its backing material, the former need not be touched by the fingers, but instead, transfered directly by the tool to the point of application.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention and in which, like characters, indicate like parts, throughout the several views.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combination of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view in longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, and

FIGURES 4 and 5 are fragmentary side elevational views of the invention on an enlarged scale showing the tool in use, and wherein, the backing material has been partially separated from the adhesive surface and delivered to the fingers of the user for complete separation of said components.

In the interest of clarity and for a fuller understanding of the invention, it must be understood that the unitary element from which the backing material is to be removed, is prefer-ably moved by the thumb of the user United States Patent 0 into engagement with the working element of the tool and after separation of the said components is commenced, by said tool, the uppermost sign character element is grasped by the fingers of the user or a small pincer or tweezer to effect complete separation and application to the surface to wlL'ch the adhesive sign characters are to be applied.

The numeral 5 indicates a relatively heavy rectangular base plate having at one end portion thereof a transverse bore 6 to accommodate a mounting screw, not shown. It will be understood that the tool may be rigidly attached to a case containing sign characters or symbols or the like, or be mounted on a work table or board, neither of which are shown in the drawing.

Adjacent the bore 6 in one end portion of the base plate 5, is a relatively narrow transversely disposed, upstanding anchor flange 7 that is stamped from the parent material of the said base plate 5. This anchor flange member 7 is in the form of a wide inverted 'U and protrudes slightly above the surface of the base plate 5 and affords an open passageway '7 in the longitudinal plane of said base plate.

inwardly of the anchor flange 7 and substantially in the transverse center of the base plate 5 is an upwardly protruding boss 8 which atfords a fulcrum point for a cooperating component of the tool as will presently appear. This boss 8 is also stamped from the parent metal of the base plate 5 and is of somewhat greater depth than the anchor flange 7, see FIG. 3.

A relatively long, longitudinally disposed finger member 9 is mounted on the base plate 5 and is provided with downturned, longitudinal marginal edge portions 10, and at its outer end portion, with a downturned flanged portion 11 having a lip 12. An adjusting screw 13 is mounted in the finger 9 for free axial rotation and has screw threaded engagement with the base plate 5. It will be obvious, therefor, that to mount the finger 9 on the base plate 5, the lip 12, of the finger 9 is inserted in the passageway 7' of the base plate 5. The finger 9 overlies the fulcrum point, in the form of the boss 8 with which it has abutting, surface engagement, and in substantially the same plane as the base plate 5. By turning the adjusting screw 13 into the base plate 5, the assembled tool is held in working position.

The inner end portion of the finger member 9 is inwardly tapered at its marginal edge portions 14, and downwardly inclined from the plane of its upper surface to a sharp beveled point 15 to engage the parting line between an upper adhesive surface and its lower protective backing. This tapered portion of the tool is centrally depressed to provide for finger clearance, see numeral 15', for the user, to facilitate the grasping of a backing element 16 of a sign character 17 as the same is separated therefrom.

It will be understood that the tool may be adjusted by the adjusting screw 13 to engage the cross-sectional thickness of either the sign character 17 or its backing material 16.

A plurality of relatively small, spaced bosses 18 are formed in the upper marginal edges of the tapered end portion 14 of the finger 9 and are provided to offset the tendency of the adhesive surfaces of a pressure sensitive sign character 17 to adhere to the tool during the separation of the said sign character 17 from its backing material 16.

It is to be noted, that as shown, the sign character 17, having greater cross-sectional thickness than its backing material 16, is positioned on the base plate 5 with said backing material being separated therefrom and grasped by the finger of the user. The adjusting screw 13 is turned clockwise or anti-clockwise with its head portion engaging the upper surface of the finger member 9 to While there are herein disclosed but a limited numberof embodiments of the structure, process and product of the invention herein disclosed, it is possible to produce still" other embodiments without departing. from the inventi-ve concept herein disclosed, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be imposed on the appended claims :as are stated herein, or required by the prior art. a

What I claim is: a

1. A hand tool. to separate an adhesive material from its protectivebacking comprising in combination, a rectangular base plate, a longitudinally disposed finger member mounted at one of its end portions on said base plate for adjustment of its free end portion in a vertical plane relative to said base plate, said free end portion of the fingermem-ber being sharpened to a sharp beveled point, an adjusting screw in saidfinger member having screw threaded engagement with the said base plate, and a fulcrum in saidbase plate aifording a base'of resistance for the finger member when the same is being adjusted rela tive to the base plate.

2. The structure defined in claim I further including a sea central depression inthe sharpened beveled end portion 7 of the finger member to facilitate the grasping of the protective backing of the adhesive material when the same has been separated from the adhesive material by the engagement of the sharp beveled end portion of the finger member therewith.

3. The structure defined in claim 1' further including a plurality of spaced bosses formed in the upper marginal edges of the sharpened, beveled end portion of the finger member, said bosses affording means to ofiset the tendency of an adhesive surface to adhere to a flat unbroken surface of the sharpened, beveled end portion of the said finger member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED' STATES PATENTS 7 1,525,075 Hill t Feb. 3', 1925 2,491,282 Rowe Dec. 13, 1949 2,507,937 Slarsky May' 16, 1950 2,583,161 Urbano Jan. 22, 1952 2,607,058 Ferguson Aug. 16, 1952' FOREIGN PAT ENTS;

543,242 France Aug. 9, 1922 

